General Information on Cloud Servers and Hands-on Labs

Do these hands-on labs cost more?

No. They are included with every Linux Academy Pro membership (not included in the Community Edition). You pay a flat monthly or yearly fee and gain access to the hands-on labs without worrying about the cost of using resources.

Are there any hidden fees?

No. We don’t believe in hidden fees. We try to be as transparent as possible, and that’s part of the reason why we offer so much under the same membership and have very straightforward terms of service.

How many times can I go through a Hands-on Lab?

As many times as you want. There are no limits. Simply visit the page again after completing a lab and you can start it up again from the beginning!

Are Hands-on Labs scenario-based?

Hands-on Labs have downloadable lab guides and many also include video lessons. This enables you to follow along at your own pace and with your preferred learning method.

To learn, you are guided through the lab by an expert so you can see exactly how they do it. Then, once you’re comfortable, you can try the lab again without following along to see if you understand how it works. After all, practice makes perfect!

What is the difference between Hands-on Labs and self-paced labs?

They are the same. Hands-on Labs are self-paced labs. You launch the lab whenever you want and are given plenty of time to complete the scenario. Also remember that you can take them as many times as you want.

How long do Hands-on Labs last?

Cloud Servers: Accessible at any time by starting them from the Cloud Servers Console. They are persistent for up to 40 days of inactivity. This means you need to start the server at least once every 40 days to make sure it is not automatically cleared and re-purposed.

Otherwise you can use them so long as you are logged in and active on LinuxAcademy.com. If you are inactive on the website, the labs will time out after 120 minutes and automatically shut down. To avoid this, make sure you are navigating to different pages or use the 'Refresh Timeout' button from the cloud servers console.

Hands-on Labs: Hands-on Labs have a built in timer. You can use the lab for as long as the timer lasts. This can be anywhere from 1 to 4 hours depending on the lab. After the timer expires (or if you complete the lab early) the lab will close and the resources will be cleared. You can restart the lab from the beginning at any time by returning to the Hands-on Lab page.